PA Eating: Crazy-Good Grill-Out

There are some foods that cause rifts between even the closest of hearts. Foods like mushrooms, olives, capers, and even celery can bring an otherwise lovely dinner to the brink of disaster.

For me, that thing is cilantro. But my reaction is more complicated than I hate cilantro! – and I don’t have that genetic ‘cilantro tastes like dishwater’ thing. My problem: I only like cilantro in Asian-inspired food. Just one leaf in something Mexican, and I’m scrubbing my tongue with a napkin. But cilantro chopped and blended with coconut milk or thrown into a marinade with lime juice? Sign me up!

My parents? They like the stuff by the bushel-full… which is why my dad had to make three batches of guacamole: one with no cilantro (me), one with no jalapeno (my niece), and one fully-loaded (for Mom and Dad). People and their preferences are endlessly fascinating, aren’t they?!

Anyway. One night, we built a dinner around a green bean recipe that, yes, can include cilantro… but also coconut milk, almonds, and cumin. You will fall madly in love with Coconut-Almond Green Beans — and you don’t want to miss the Ginger-Lime Shrimp, either.

Directions:

1

In a small bowl, squeeze to extract the juice, then add the red pepper flakes, garlic, ginger, salt, black pepper, and cilantro. Mix well with a fork, then drizzle in the oil, stirring constantly.

2

With a small, sharp knife, pierce the shrimp at the head end and carefully cut along the back toward the tail, removing the dark vein. Rinse in running water. Pat dry, then place the shrimp in a medium bowl and mix with the marinade. Cover tightly and refrigerate for 20 minutes.

3

Preheat the gas grill on high heat with the lid closed, about 10 minutes. Thread the shrimp on skewers, leaving a little room between them so they don’t steam. Grill 2-3 minutes per side with the lid closed.

Coconut-Almond Green Beans

The leftovers, should there be any, are delicious mixed with cooked protein and stir-fried ’til hot.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon coconut oil

2 tablespoons sliced almonds

1/2 medium onion, finely diced (about 1/2 cup)

3 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 tablespoon)

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon red chili pepper flakes

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup canned coconut milk

1 pound green beans, trimmed

1 teaspoon lime juice

1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves, minced (2 tablespoons) (optional)

Directions:

1

Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the almonds and cook until lightly browned. Keep an eye on them; they brown quickly! Transfer almonds to a plate for later. Resist the temptation to eat them!

2

In the same pan, sauté the onion, garlic, cumin, coriander, paprika, chili pepper flakes, and salt. Cook until the onion is soft and beginning to get brown bits, about 4-5 minutes.

3

Add the coconut milk to the pan and mix well, then add the green beans. Make sure everything is blended, then bring the pan to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook covered until the beans are tender. The cooking time is a judgment call. If you like them crisp, it’s about 6 minutes. If you like them softer, let them braise for about 8 minutes.

4

When the beans have reached the desired tenderness, remove the lid and let the sauce cook down until it thickens a bit. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the almonds, lime juice, and cilantro (if using).

That would be kick ass awesome! Just give me a heads up, I know some wicked tasty joints around here you can finagle into proper dino-chow eatings. And a sweet park that's Monumentally perfect for metcons, should there be interest.

Hi, Joanna! I'm so glad you broke your lurker status to say hi… and even more glad that you like that recipe. They really are super yummy and so easy. They're my go-to when I feel like I need comfort food and they're good for dinner guests/potlucks, too.

I'm heading to PA to see my family for the 4th. Too bad we can't do a WOD together at the airport 😉

I usually use either Thai Kitchen or Polar — whichever I grab at the grocery. The biggest thing is to read the label. I think that So Delicious has added ingredients that are less than ideal. You basically want just coconut milk and guar gum — and even better if you can find it without the guar gum.

Bless you and your God-given talent. The lemon lime shrimp was delicious!!! The right mix of flavor with just a little but of spice. I paired the shrimp with your oven roasted cauliflower. Winner!!! Revolving recipe. Thank you!!

Bless you and your God-given talent. The lemon lime shrimp was delicious!!! The right mix of flavor with just a little bit of spice. I paired the shrimp with your oven roasted cauliflower. Winner!!! Revolving recipe. Thank you!!

Fell in love with the shrimp last summer over the course of multiple grilling parties and just made the green beans (sans the for-me-vile cilantro) for a foodie dinner – they were a HUGE hit!! Thanks for the recipes and these awesome flavour combinations 🙂

Hooray! Glad you like those green beans. I make them without cilantro, too, because my husband Dave has that thing where cilantro tastes like soap. It’s funny because my parents DOUBLE the cilantro (ew.).